The Stories Behind: The student who learnt to walk, read and write again in time for PSLE after contracting meningitis

SINGAPORE — As a recent graduate of Republic Polytechnic on track to start his business degree at university, it is almost hard to believe that 24-year-old Alex Chan Ping Siong relearnt how to walk, read and write at 11 years old. 

While his peers were gearing up for their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 2011, he contracted meningitis, an inflammation of the brain tissues.

It began as a “normal passing cough and flu" on March 19, 2011, which soon developed into high fever and a bacterial infection which then travelled to his brain and spinal cord. 

He had seizures and was thus placed in an induced coma at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).

When he woke up close to three months later, he had no idea what had happened. He later found out that the meningitis had impacted the right half of his brain — causing damage to the part of the brain responsible for logical thinking. 

“After I was discharged, I realised that my mobility and spatial awareness was really low. I had problems walking and had to relearn how to write. I had to restart everything,” said Mr Chan.

In response to TODAY’s queries, his doctor at the time, Associate Professor Derrick Chan, said that Mr Chan had an infection which triggered what is called refractory status epilepticus, causing his brain to go into continuous seizures. 

“He was placed in a coma to suppress the seizures, without which he would have had severe brain damage that would likely lead to death,” said Assoc Prof Chan, who is a senior consultant in Neurology Service at KKH.

According to the most recent disease classifications, his illness would now be described as Febrile Illness Related Epilepsy Syndrome, which refers to severe continuous seizures which could cause severe irreversible brain damage and even lead to death without prompt treatment.

While medical intervention minimised the impact of the epileptic seizures on his brain, damage was already done by the immune reaction to the infection. 

This was worsened by physical de-conditioning from the prolonged coma, making even simple actions a challenge, said Assoc Prof Chan. 

EIGHT MONTHS FELT LIKE EIGHT YEARS 

The first thing he learnt to write again was his own name, said Mr Chan, who recalled running through many pieces of foolscap paper to practise writing. 

Waking up from his coma after a few months was not only disorienting but frustrating, as he was a relatively sporty person before his illness, representing his primary school as table tennis captain. 

These activities were put on hold as it took six months of intensive physiotherapy such as hydrotherapy sessions, where he would walk in a small pool to enhance resistance and gain strength in his legs. 

By around September that year, he was able to going about his daily activities independently through “sheer effort”, albeit with the help of a walking frame for a start.

“He needed to undergo a slow re-conditioning programme to strengthen him, re-train him to use his body, and compensate for the parts of the brain which were injured,” said Assoc Prof Chan from KKH. 

“This was an effort over many years and started with physical exercises and went on to behavioural and cognitive guidance, as well as a progressive return to his studies, all leading up to his recent success.” 

He returned to school the following year, joining the batch below him in preparing for PSLE.

For Mr Chan, it meant playing catch-up.

Mathematics, which was his “strongest subject” before he fell sick, became one of his biggest worries.

“Every examination I got a zero. It was that bad. Little did I even think that I could go to secondary school,” said Mr Chan.

He had eight months to rectify that, before the PSLE began, but to Mr Chan, the eight months felt more like “eight years”.

“I always felt, why me? Back then I took things for granted, as I always knew that I was a smart student who didn’t really need to study much,” he said.

Unlike many among his cohort, his aim was simply to pass, not to score As. 

After his discharge, his father left his job to take care of him full time, teach him mathematics and dictation, while his mother took over as a breadwinner.

The outcome? A hard-earned B in mathematics in PSLE, which was both a “shock” and akin to an “A” for him, he said with a laugh.

He managed to get an aggregate score of 158 and gained admission to Serangoon Garden Secondary School in the Normal (Academic) stream.

While mathematics remained a "weak area" and his memory stayed poor, Mr Chan said his academic performance improved after primary school. 

He was also able to play table tennis again, thanks to his "muscle memory".

He was reinstated as captain in primary school, though he took on more of a supervisory role.

'PART AND PARCEL' OF LIFE

Mr Chan sees the illness and subsequent coma as a “blessing in disguise” and “wake up call”, which taught him to adopt a more positive mindset and determination that he carries with him even 13 years later.

Now he makes an effort to take ownership of his health, avoids over exerting himself and maintains a good diet and sleeping habits.

“It’s part and parcel of life; it’s learning how to take care of yourself because that is very important,” he said. 

His sister, Ms Sarah Chan, 31, said that the incident had shaped the “grit, resilience and zeal for life” that he exhibits today. 

“It’s never easy seeing a loved one go through hardship this way and I felt that I had to be strong for him,” said Ms Chan, who works in the healthcare sector. 

As her brother’s illness happened just as she was about to enter university, it played a big part in her decision to study and eventually pursue a career in healthcare innovation.

“If anything, it brought us together as a family to help him through this. We also gained a profound understanding of caregiving with its sacrifices, a more grounded and compassionate outlook on life.”

Without this experience of meningitis and the long period of recovery, Mr Chan believes that his path might have been “quite different”, especially in terms of his educational journey. 

“I would have had an easier time progressing through school and taken a traditional route to university,” said Mr Chan.

Although his N-Level results were "good enough" to enter a polytechnic via a foundational programme, he chose to enrol at the Institute of Technical Education College Central, where he took a Business Services course and a Human Resource and Administration programme.

He did well enough to further his studies at the Republic Polytechnic, recently graduating with a Diploma in Business.

Next, he has gained a place at SIM Global Education, where he has enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration programme in partnership with Australia’s RMIT University this year.

Mr Chan attributes his education path to the resilience and perseverance he learnt through his experience, as it gave him a desire to help others and steered his interest towards business.

“I think I'm a living testament of the worth of suffering, where I am today, even managing to go to university, which was one of my biggest life goals since primary school,” he said.

“Don’t underestimate your potential. You first need to try to step out of your comfort zone.”